Milan need only one more point to secure a 18th league title after a 1-0 victory over Bologna yesterday put them on the brink of the scudetto crown.
If either Milan avoid defeat away to Roma on Saturday or Inter fail to beat Fiorentina, then the Rossoneri will be Serie A champions.
French midfielder Mathieu Flamini scored the only goal of the game early in the first period and then Milan held out comfortably against opponents who lacked ambition.
Milan would already be champions but for Giampaolo Pazzini’s two injury-time goals on Saturday night to give Inter a 2-1 win at Cesena.
Milan got the dream start they wanted after just eight minutes as Robinho slipped the ball forward to Flamini who played it one side of Miguel Britos and ran around the other leaving him face to face with goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano.
The Frenchman’s first shot was straight at the keeper but it squirmed under his body and Flamini was first to the rebound to slide home into an empty net.
Thereafter it was all Milan as they proved especially effective on the counter attack but failed to add to Flamini’s early goal despite creating several chances.
Victory left Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri confident his team can clinch the title in Rome next weekend.
“Today’s victory has brought us closer to the scudetto,” Allegri said.
“But we still need one more point and we will try to get it at Roma on Saturday.”
The win extended Milan’s winning run in the league to five games.
Udinese handed Lazio a big advantage in the race for fourth place as they lost 5-2 at Fiorentina, for whom both Gaetano D’Agostino and Alessio Cerci scored a brace.
It means if Lazio beat Juventus at home tonight they will be four points clear of their rivals with just three games to play.
Roma remained in the hunt for a place in the Champions League next season with a dramatic 3-2 win over Bari last night, despite ending the game with only nine men. Simone Bentivoglio put the home team in front with the first of three penalties in the 25th minute.
Francesco Totti levelled after half an hour, but Erik Huseklepp gave a spirited Bari the lead again just before the break.
Daniele De Rossi, Kamil Glik and Simone Perrotta were all given their marching orders in the second half, in which Totti brought Roma level from the spot in the 57th minute before missing his hat-trick with a penalty 22 minutes later.
Bari hit the woodwork twice before Aleandro Rosi scored a fortunate winner for the Giallorossi in the fifth minute of stoppage time to take them to within a point of the top four.
At the bottom an injury-time goal from Daniele Mannini gave Sampdoria a 3-3 draw at home to Brescia, moving them a point clear of the relegation zone.
Brescia missed the chance to close the gap as they remain second bottom and five points from safety.
Serie A
Bari 2
Bentivoglio 25 pen; Huseklepp 42;
Roma 3
Totti 30, 57 pen; Rosi 90;
HT: 2-1. Att: 16,000.
Red cards: De Rossi (R) 48; Glik (B) 78; Perrotta (R) 90.
Missed penalty: Totti (R) 79.
Catania 2
Silvestre 78; Bergessio 82;
Cagliari 0
HT: 0-0. Att: 13,842.
Red card: Alvarez (Cat) 74.
Chievo 1
Rigoni 58;
Lecce 0
HT: 0-0. Att: 10,036.
Fiorentina 5
Vargas 9; D’Agostino 21, 61; Cerci 71, 86;
Udinese 2
Pinzi 29; Asamoah 57;
HT: 2-1. Att: 24,604.
Milan 1
Flamini 8;
Bologna 0
HT: 1-0. Att: 75,121.
Red card: Della Rocca (B) 82.
Parma 3
Dzemaili 2; Modesto 18; Candreva 89;
Palermo 1
Pastore 56;
HT: 2-0. Att: 14,315.
Sampdoria 3
Pozzi 55; Tissone 63; Mannini 90;
Brescia 3
Eder 50; Caracciolo 57, 84;
HT: 0-0. Att: 25,055.
Playing today
Lazio vs Juventus (1-2) - 20.45
Top scorers
26 goals: Di Natale (Udinese), Cavani (Napoli).
20 goals: Eto’o (Inter).
19 goals: Di Vaio (Bologna).
18 goals: Matri (Juventus).
Next fixtures
Saturday: 18.00 Palermo vs Bari. 20.45 Roma vs Milan.
Sunday: 15.00 Bologna vs Parma; Brescia vs Catania; Cagliari vs Cesena; Inter vs Fiorentina; Lecce vs Napoli; Udinese vs Lazio. 20.45 Genoa vs Sampdoria.
Monday, May 9: 20.45 Juventus vs Chievo.
Serie B
Novara 2 - Siena 2
Prima Divisione ‘A’
Monza vs Alessandria 2-0; Salernitana vs Como 2-0; Pergocrema vs Cremonese 2-1; Sorrento vs Gubbio 2-1; Spal vs Ravenna 3-0; Bassano vs Reggiana 0-0; Paganese vs Spezia 0-1; Lumezzane vs SudTirol 1-0; Pavia vs Verona 1-1.
Leading standings: Gubbio 62; Sorrento 58; Alessandria 49; Salernitana 47; Verona 46; Reggiana 45.
Prima Divisione ‘B’
Pisa vs Andria 2-1; Ternana vs Atl. Roma 1-3; Benevento vs Foggia 4-3; Nocerina vs Foligno 3-1; Barletta vs Gela 0-0; Cavese vs Juve Stabia 2-0; Taranto vs Siracusa 2-2; Cosenza vs Viareggio 2-1; Lucchese vs Lanciano 2-0.
Leading standings: Nocerina 71 (promoted); Benevento 59; Atl. Roma 53; Juve Stabia, Taranto 51; Foggia 44; Siracusa 43.